Reusable Shipping for Orthopaedic Series Production

Orthopaedic series production

Standardised braces, orthoses, compression stockings and insoles from series production: small, light, textile - and therefore one of the best small-parcel profiles there is. With reusable shipping packaging from hey circle, your regular deliveries to store chains and medical supply stores become a loop instead of a pile of cardboard.

Box L compared with a single-use cardboard box of the same size containing 80 % recycled material, calculated over 50 cycles. Data source: Ökopol life cycle assessment. The 53 % are an average from real customer calculations.

How the loop works

You pick standardised series goods in the central warehouse and deliver them regularly, in the reorder rhythm, to your own store chains and to independent medical supply stores. Braces, orthoses, compression stockings and insoles are small, light and mostly textile - very well suited to parcel shipping (parcel suitability 8/10).

To be straight about it: this is not a full two-way shuttle every day. The advantage comes from the regular reorder frequency on the outbound leg and from the bundled, foldable empty return.

  • Pack & close

    • Pack standardised series goods into the hey circle box in the central warehouse
    • Close the box with a 1-zip, 2-zip or slip-on lid - no tape
    • Optionally record it via GRAI code: IT integration for tracking and cycle analysis

  • Ship

    • Ship to your own store chains and to independent medical supply stores in the normal parcel network, with no bulky-goods surcharge
    • A regular reorder rhythm instead of a one-off - textile series goods are very well suited to parcel shipping
    • Hub-and-spoke one-way distribution from the central warehouse, not a daily full two-way shuttle

  • Return

    • Fold empty boxes flat and send them back to the central warehouse bundled and at low cost
    • Bundled, the return leg pays off; a single empty box does not - it is not free once a parcel service is involved
    • Back at the warehouse the box can be filled again straight away - for an average of 50 cycles

Orthopaedic series production & reusables: a dream team

  • Ideal product profile

    Textile series goods are small, light and robust - one of the best small-parcel profiles in the whole segment. That is exactly what the reusable loop is built for.

  • Regular frequency

    Store chains and medical supply stores reorder continuously. Across many shipments, reusable packaging clearly beats the single-use cardboard box.

  • Packaging costs

    With small, frequent shipments every single-use cardboard box adds up. In a loop you cut your packaging costs by an average of 53 %.

  • Less waste

    According to the Ökopol life cycle assessment (2023), the hey circle Box L saves 94 % packaging waste and 76 % CO2 over 50 cycles compared with a single-use cardboard box of the same size containing 80 % recycled material - concrete figures for the climate and sustainability reports that large series manufacturers now keep on a formal footing.

  • Regulation (PPWR)

    Especially relevant if you supply your own store chains: The PPWR has applied since 12 August 2026. From 2030 it sets reuse targets for certain transport packaging such as plastic crates and pallets; boxes made of cardboard or paperboard are exempt. For deliveries between sites of one company within the same member state, the PPWR requires reuse from 2030, again excluding cardboard boxes. Whether your shipping is affected depends on format and supply relationship - we are happy to check this with you.

Matching packaging

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Reference: hub-and-spoke at WMF

There is not yet a confirmed hey circle reference customer in orthopaedic series production. WMF stands as the reference for the distribution pattern you share: the manufacturer of tableware and household goods supplies its stores with a reusable system instead of single-use cardboard. Important context: WMF is our reference for the store replenishment use case (use case cluster hub-and-spoke distribution) - that is, for the logistics pattern from central warehouse to store or medical supply store - not for the orthopaedic sector itself.

With the reusable boxes we are taking an important step towards sustainable, future-proof logistics processes.

Dominik Drögmöller | Logistics Consumer Projects & Process Manager, WMF

Frequently asked questions

Series production or made-to-measure items - which does this page cover?

This page covers standardised series products (supports, orthoses, compression stockings, insoles) that ship from stock to store chains and medical supply stores - a hub-and-spoke distribution pattern. For made-to-measure items, where a high-value workpiece travels back and forth between workshop and medical supply store (exchange model), the orthopaedic technology page is the right one.

Learn more

What does the PPWR mean for us if we supply our own retail chains?

From 2030 the PPWR sets reuse targets for certain transport packaging such as plastic crates and pallets; for deliveries between sites of one company within the same member state it requires reuse. Boxes made of cardboard or paperboard are exempt. The other PPWR obligations still apply.

How are off-the-shelf orthopaedic products delivered to specialist retailers?

With a hub-and-spoke loop: standard products go out in reusable packaging, the empty box comes back folded flat and bundled, 50 cycles on average and 53 % lower packaging costs on average.

How does the packaging come back?

Folded flat and bundled, back to the central warehouse via the parcel network. That is inexpensive, but not free once a parcel carrier is involved - so collect and bundle.

Does this work with our parcel carrier?

hey circle packaging has been tested and approved by all parcel carriers and runs through the normal sorting process with no surcharge.

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How can you save with reusables?

Our team will be happy to advise you on the benefits of reusable shipping packaging for your shipping loop.

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